Bust Foot Forward

A haunted bar, a spell working in Tenerife's tourism trade and a vociferous viewpoint on ill-fitting and unattractive-looking underwear all feature in Bustifull Ltd's origins. With the Aberdeen based retailer opening its doors for business this month, the story of how Andrea Craig brought her idea of a shop providing a range of classy brassieres in the larger cup sizes from concept to reality needs to be shared.

Upon leaving school, Andrea, like many Aberdonians, became involved in the oil and gas industry. After some time in a recruitment consultancy role, Andrea became disillusioned and decided a change was in order. She left Aberdeen for pastures new and spent six years working in the tourism industry in Tenerife.

It was during her time on the island that Andrea forged plans of a business venture to launch upon her return to Aberdeen, as she explains: "I had always planned to return to Aberdeen, but didn't want to go back to the oil industry. I sought more freedom, and the freedom to be my own boss in particular. After much time, consideration and discussion with my mum, Moira, I decided upon setting up Bustifull Ltd. Like many good ideas, it was borne out of necessity, with both my mother and I having expressed a desire for attractive underwear in larger sizes. In November 2006, I returned to the UK."

With neither Andrea nor Moira possessing any retail industry experience, Andrea sought the help of the Business Gateway service, provided by Enterprise North East Trust.

"I was appointed an advisor, Mhairidh, and the help that she has provided has been invaluable. With no experience of running a retail business, I was entering a potential minefield. In writing my business plan I simply asked Mhairidh for a checklist of exactly what I had to do to succeed, she provided this, and I worked my way through it. She also helped me to strengthen my application by bringing various articles and statistical data on the lingerie trade to my attention, which I was then able to include.

"There has also been plenty opportunity for me to enrol on courses through the Business Gateway service, including courses on book-keeping, marketing and tax. Although my involvement with Business Gateway has, as of yet, been limited to one-on-one sessions, I would like to use their services to get my other skills up to scratch in future."

By combining her own efforts with the help of Business Gateway, and a deal of initial legwork by Moira, Andrea has been successful in assembling a stock and leasing retail premises; even if the latter comes with a slight catch. "After several months of trying to locate the perfect premises I think I have, except they are haunted! The Netherkirkgate building in which Bustifull is housed is the site of the former 'Bond Bar', which in turn was built in an old slum area of Aberdeen. It is said that the site is haunted by a friendly ghost. In fact, there is a plaque to the exterior of the building that explains its history in more detail.

"In assembling my collection, I found that one of the best things about running my own business was getting to shop for a living. Finding the right stock for the shop was fun, especially when dealing with brands, many of which, until now, have been unavailable in Aberdeen. These include major manufacturers such as Vanity Fair, Anita and Goddess. The German market also proved to be an excellent source, as the Germanic build tends to lend itself well to larger sizes. In bringing together my collection though, I have sought brands from all over the world, including Plié of Brazil as well as the very best pieces from well-known manufacturers like Triumph, Panache and Fantasy."

Andrea has worked hard in bringing her idea from concept to reality and from one side of Europe to the other. It has not all been easy, but with premises now sourced, haunted or not, she can move on with establishing the business in Aberdeen, and, she hopes, further afield. "I know the shop will be a success, simply because it fills a gap in the market. Because this is a gap that exists in high streets throughout Scotland, my long-term goal is to open further outlets. At the moment though, I am looking forward to gaining my first retail experience in my home city of Aberdeen."

For more information on Bustifull Ltd, call 01224 626422 or visit www.bustifull.co.uk.

The Business Gateway service in Grampian is delivered by Enterprise North East Trust. For more information telephone 01224 289725 or visit www.bgateway.com.

ENDS

Picture caption: Andrea Craig is launching Bustifull Ltd, provider of classy underwear for the larger lady, after seeking the help of the Business Gateway service.

For further information, contact:

John McIntosh

Tricker PR

Office 01224 646491

Mobile 07780 680751

Email jmcintosh@trickerpr.com